diff --git a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt
index 8f0c2be34848..8fe4dffcadd0 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt
+++ b/tools/perf/Documentation/perf-record.txt
@@ -495,6 +495,10 @@ overhead. You can still switch them on with:
 
   --switch-output --no-no-buildid  --no-no-buildid-cache
 
+--switch-max-files=N::
+
+When rotating perf.data with --switch-output, only keep N files.
+
 --dry-run::
 Parse options then exit. --dry-run can be used to detect errors in cmdline
 options.
diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
index a468d882e74f..02d7c40b2d10 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-record.c
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ struct switch_output {
 	unsigned long	 time;
 	const char	*str;
 	bool		 set;
+	char		 **filenames;
+	int		 num_files;
+	int		 cur_file;
 };
 
 struct record {
@@ -892,6 +895,7 @@ record__switch_output(struct record *rec, bool at_exit)
 {
 	struct perf_data *data = &rec->data;
 	int fd, err;
+	char *new_filename;
 
 	/* Same Size:      "2015122520103046"*/
 	char timestamp[] = "InvalidTimestamp";
@@ -912,7 +916,7 @@ record__switch_output(struct record *rec, bool at_exit)
 
 	fd = perf_data__switch(data, timestamp,
 				    rec->session->header.data_offset,
-				    at_exit);
+				    at_exit, &new_filename);
 	if (fd >= 0 && !at_exit) {
 		rec->bytes_written = 0;
 		rec->session->header.data_size = 0;
@@ -922,6 +926,21 @@ record__switch_output(struct record *rec, bool at_exit)
 		fprintf(stderr, "[ perf record: Dump %s.%s ]\n",
 			data->path, timestamp);
 
+	if (rec->switch_output.num_files) {
+		int n = rec->switch_output.cur_file + 1;
+
+		if (n >= rec->switch_output.num_files)
+			n = 0;
+		rec->switch_output.cur_file = n;
+		if (rec->switch_output.filenames[n]) {
+			remove(rec->switch_output.filenames[n]);
+			free(rec->switch_output.filenames[n]);
+		}
+		rec->switch_output.filenames[n] = new_filename;
+	} else {
+		free(new_filename);
+	}
+
 	/* Output tracking events */
 	if (!at_exit) {
 		record__synthesize(rec, false);
@@ -1973,6 +1992,8 @@ static struct option __record_options[] = {
 			  &record.switch_output.set, "signal,size,time",
 			  "Switch output when receive SIGUSR2 or cross size,time threshold",
 			  "signal"),
+	OPT_INTEGER(0, "switch-max-files", &record.switch_output.num_files,
+		   "Limit number of switch output generated files"),
 	OPT_BOOLEAN(0, "dry-run", &dry_run,
 		    "Parse options then exit"),
 #ifdef HAVE_AIO_SUPPORT
@@ -2059,6 +2080,13 @@ int cmd_record(int argc, const char **argv)
 		alarm(rec->switch_output.time);
 	}
 
+	if (rec->switch_output.num_files) {
+		rec->switch_output.filenames = calloc(sizeof(char *),
+						      rec->switch_output.num_files);
+		if (!rec->switch_output.filenames)
+			return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * Allow aliases to facilitate the lookup of symbols for address
 	 * filters. Refer to auxtrace_parse_filters().
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/data.c b/tools/perf/util/data.c
index c6b67efea11a..6a64f713710d 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/data.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/data.c
@@ -361,9 +361,9 @@ ssize_t perf_data__write(struct perf_data *data,
 
 int perf_data__switch(struct perf_data *data,
 			   const char *postfix,
-			   size_t pos, bool at_exit)
+			   size_t pos, bool at_exit,
+			   char **new_filepath)
 {
-	char *new_filepath;
 	int ret;
 
 	if (check_pipe(data))
@@ -371,15 +371,15 @@ int perf_data__switch(struct perf_data *data,
 	if (perf_data__is_read(data))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	if (asprintf(&new_filepath, "%s.%s", data->path, postfix) < 0)
+	if (asprintf(new_filepath, "%s.%s", data->path, postfix) < 0)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	/*
 	 * Only fire a warning, don't return error, continue fill
 	 * original file.
 	 */
-	if (rename(data->path, new_filepath))
-		pr_warning("Failed to rename %s to %s\n", data->path, new_filepath);
+	if (rename(data->path, *new_filepath))
+		pr_warning("Failed to rename %s to %s\n", data->path, *new_filepath);
 
 	if (!at_exit) {
 		close(data->file.fd);
@@ -396,7 +396,6 @@ int perf_data__switch(struct perf_data *data,
 	}
 	ret = data->file.fd;
 out:
-	free(new_filepath);
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/data.h b/tools/perf/util/data.h
index 6aef8746469f..259868a39019 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/data.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/data.h
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ ssize_t perf_data_file__write(struct perf_data_file *file,
  */
 int perf_data__switch(struct perf_data *data,
 			   const char *postfix,
-			   size_t pos, bool at_exit);
+			   size_t pos, bool at_exit, char **new_filepath);
 
 int perf_data__create_dir(struct perf_data *data, int nr);
 int perf_data__open_dir(struct perf_data *data);